Best Indian/Pakistan restaurant (single location)

Why? This year’s readers poll was the first time we asked people to vote for their favorite South Asian restaurant based on a single location, which has shaken up the results a bit. Last year’s winner, Shalimar, which has a handful of restaurants in the region, has fallen, but was able to stay in the top three thanks to the strength of it Delmar location. Sitar and Karavalli, by the way, were last year’s second- and third-place finishers, and so they saw their rankings rise with the ballot change.

Sitar is the region’s longest-standing and most upscale Indian restaurant, so it’s had years to build a loyal following. Customers praise the service, food, portions, consistency, smells and ambience — tasteful but not overdone. Meanwhile, Karavalli prides itself on its foods from multiple regions, and it serves the thin rice and lentil crepe known as dosa.

We just tried Sitar for the first time, partially due to this survey. Although the service was good, the restaurant itself smells musty and just doesn’t look clean. The appetizers we ordered were so deep fried and greasy that you could see the oil layer. The price for a vegetable dish was incredibly high for what it was. The chicken dish was wonderful. I really don’t understand how it is rated #1.